The influence of purification of carp collagen used in a novel composite graft with sandwich construction of the wall on its biological properties and graft patency rates.

We compared graft outcome between two types of a novel composite three-layer carp-collagen-coated vascular graft in low-flow conditions in a sheep model. Collagen in group A underwent more cycles of purification than in group B in order to increase the ratio between collagen and residual fat. The grafts were implanted end-to-side in both carotid arteries in sheep (14 grafts in 7 sheep in group A, 18 grafts in 9 sheep in group B) and artificially stenosed on the right side.

AT1 receptor blockade is superior to conventional triple therapy in protecting against end-organ damage in Cyp1a1-Ren-2 transgenic rats with inducible hypertension.

Objective: In the present study we compared the effects of treatment with the AT1 receptor antagonist candesartan and of 'triple therapy' (hydralazine, hydrochlorothiazide, reserpine) on the course of blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy and angiotensin II concentrations after induction of hypertension in transgenic rats with inducible expression of the mouse renin gene (Cyp1a1-Ren-2 rats).

Methods: Hypertension was induced in Cyp1a1-Ren-2 rats through dietary administration of the natural xenobiotic indole-3-carbinol (I3C, 0.3%) for 4 days.

Microcolumn high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for doxycycline in isolated alveolar macrophages.

A procedure for the isolation of doxycycline from the alveolar macrophages is described. Due to the minimal amount of the sample, it was necessary to employ microcolumn HPLC. A great advantage of the methodology developed in the present paper consists in the direct injection of an aqueous supernatant over disintegrated macrophages without the use of liquid-liquid or solid-liquid extraction.